In the repair of vehicles, a door panel quite frequently has to be removed from the door frame. One reason for this removal is that the door panel has been damaged which requires the door panel to be repaired or replaced. Another reason for this removal is that mechanical apparatus positioned within the door frame, such as the apparatus necessary to raise and lower the windows or the apparatus for opening, closing and locking the doors, must be repaired. The door panel is then attached to the door frame.
The conventional steps taken to attach a door panel to a door frame have been to remove the door frame and panel from the vehicular body, remove the door panel from the door frame and then replace the door panel on the door frame by using a hammer and dolly, and then attaching the door frame and panel to the vehicular body. This procedure is quite time consuming, which therefore makes it expensive. Moreover, to obtain results duplicating factory results, requires even more time, which is even more expensive.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a flanging tool for attaching a vehicular door panel to a door frame which is easy to operate and effective in operation.
Further, it is an object of the invention to provide a flanging tool for attaching a vehicular door panel to a door frame without removing the door from the vehicular frame.
In accordance with the invention, a flanging tool is used to attach a vehicular door panel to a door frame when combined with an impact tool. The impact tool uses a rod having a connecting end and a retaining end and the weight is disposed around the rod and movable on the rod to provide a force at the connecting end by movement of the weight against a stop shoulder located at the retaining end. The flanging tool includes a shank having a connecting end with means attached at the connecting end of the shank for connecting the shank to the connecting end of the rod of the impact tool and a crimping end with a hook mounted thereon for folding a door panel edge over and crimping the edge to the door frame lip. The hook employs a flared end to aid in folding the edge and a crimping portion to force the panel edge against the door frame lip. The crimping portion is of generally U-shaped cross-section with one side of the "U" extending into the shank and the other side of the "U" extending into the flared end which generally curves outwardly from the shank side. The folding and crimping of the edge to the door frame lip is accomplished by movement of the weight of the impact tool against the stop shoulder.